Emologue

Something To Say – An Emotive Rant At No One In Particular

So I watched an episode of the show “What Would You Do?” tonight, which I shared with you a bit in IMs earlier. But… I really wanted to write a post about it because, as you know, this is a really big issue that hits close to home.

On the show, it made me cry. Literally cry while I watched the kindness of some strangers… and the very realistic representation of the hurdles involved with this issue.

Although not deaf, in being mute I have a serious hurdle to overcome when out in public. It is a part of the reason that I often choose to have someone with me when I go out.

Still, I do plenty of errands and tasks out and about on my own, and you cannot imagine how often I run into problems. Whether I go out with paper and pen, my tablet to type messages on, or my phone that has multiple text-to-speech apps to use… there’s just some people that are completely intolerant to the hurdles involved with being non-vocal.

These people? Lift my chin and show them the scar so that they can understand I have no voice? And all you get is an “EW, WTF MAN?? That’s gross.”

There’s no empathy. There’s no understanding. No compassion. There’s no -effort- at all on their part.

I’ve had people I’ve tried to communicate with just snort at me and walk away. I’ve had them literally call me a “retard” and tell me that I shouldn’t be allowed outside my home alone. These are people that work in a customer service industry. Waiters, cashiers, retail employees…. people that should have SOME sort of temperance and make some sort of effort to understand and communicate.

I’m not a goddamned cripple. I’m not mentally handicapped. I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a grown fucking man that was attacked, died on my kitchen floor, and was brought back by paramedics to find myself forever irreversibly injured in that attack. I can communicate just fine as long as the other person is willing to put in a little effort beyond using their ears. And yet? That kind of behavior shown by the waiter in that show? Is so very common.

It was really nice to see the people that stepped up, but as someone that deals with this issue on an everyday basis? I can tell you from first hand experience, those kind souls are few and far between. In my experience? Most people would rather turn their head and pretend it’s not happening.

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2 thoughts on “Something To Say – An Emotive Rant At No One In Particular”

People can be SUCH assholes. Even without these hurdles it’s common for people in the service industry to be rude and unhelpful so it doesn’t surprise me to hear this, though it does sadden me.

I would probably not only be one of those people who stand up, but I’d likely end up getting my ass kicked out of the place if I were to see this kind of behavior because it’s just unacceptable. It’s not even so much about being kind as being a considerate human being. If you can’t read the text or writing, then you go and find someone who can, you don’t act like a fucking jackass and be a dick about it just because it might inconvenience you that someone else has trouble communicating verbally.

I’m really sorry that this happens to you, my love. This is yet another case of…It’s a damn good thing I can’t be there when this happens to you or alot of people would be hearing a HUGE and irate piece of my mind.

I’m sorry, my heart, that you have to tolerate other people’s ignorance and lack of common courtesy.

I come across this every day working in the specialist education sector with trying to get people with learning difficulties into employment. The ignorance and intolerance of some people is staggering. There are those (however few and far in between), that thankfully have a modicum of decency about them and thank goodness for them.

It saddens me in that in this day and age people such as yourself have to constantly face these types of prejudices. I for one would complain to the management of these establishments, if the people that they employ in customer facing roles are discriminating in the way that you have experienced. It is not acceptable.